Michael Chiklis To Face Off Against Jason Statham As The Villain In Parker

It used to be said that actors on television were the ones not talented enough to be appearing in movies, but in recent years that has totally changed. With some of the best writers in Hollywood working on the small screen, impressive names like Alec Baldwin and Hugh Laurie have chosen to spend the better part of the last decade being broadcast into people's homes instead of seen in theaters. Another perfect example of this is Michael Chiklis, who spent seven years playing Detective Vic Mackey on The Shield, earning an Emmy and endless praise in the process. But for all of the success Chiklis has had on television, movies always need great actors too, and now he's lending his talents to Parker.

Deadline reports that the actor has signed on to play the villain opposite Jason Statham in the Donald E. Westlake adaptation. Set to be directed by Taylor Hackford, the film also stars Jennifer Lopez, Clifton Collins Jr. and Wendell Pierce. The first time Westlake's classic character has been brought to the big screen using his real name (he's previously been called Porter, Macklin, Walker and more in films like Payback, The Outfit and Point Blank), Statham stars as the titular thief who, thanks to his own moral code, won't steal money from those that truly need it. The film doesn't have a release date yet, but is expected to arrive some time in 2012.

When it comes to film work, Chiklis is best known for playing The Thing in Fox's Fantastic Four movies, and while he was the best of those films, his talents far exceed what was presented. Combine Hackford's directing skill with the idea of Statham and him squaring off and we should be in for a real treat.